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Frequently Asked Questions

Bookings

WHO CAN COME

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Can I come on my own?

If you are coming to the event on your own, choose our ‘Chalet Share’ option when you book. You will share an apartment with one other dancer of the same gender. The chalets accommodate one person sleeping in the bedroom and the second person on the bed in the living area.

Hundreds of dancers will be travelling to the event on their own. So come and join in the fun!

Does this mean when I book to come to this event I have to share with someone I don't know?

No, absolutely not!! We are just offering a single and sharing options for those that don’t mind.
To find out more about our a Single and Sharing options, please visit our The Event/Who should Come section

Can I book a chalet on my own?

Yes, you can book all levels of accommodation for single occupancy apart from Budget. You can book Budget accommodation and share with a fellow dancers of the same gender, if you are travelling alone.

Budget accommodation allocated for a minimum occupancy of 2 people was also available in the early bird option.

Can I bring children?

Yes, providing they are yours!

To be honest the event is not children friendly and we do not advise that you bring them, but if you have no option then it is under the following provisos:

Children are required to pay full price and they will be issued with appropriate wrist bands when they arrive on site just as the adults.

We would ask that no children under the age of 11 are permitted into any dance venue unless accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times. And in any event no children under the age of 11 are allowed to be in any dance venue beyond 10pm.

We would also ask that all children between 11 and 14 vacate the main Entertainment’s area by 1am.

What if I book and then MI6 asks me to undertake a top-secret mission which requires me to wear a Blonde wig and meet a stranger at Waterloo station the same weekend?

We do have a cancellation schedule, but first of all we suggest that you make sure one of your friends isn’t having you on.
Also we have supplied an ESCAPE MESSAGE BOARD which is available should you want to sell your apartment or have spare places in your apartment. The Message Board is like an electronic message board so people selling or people buying can communicate directly.

HOW TO BOOK

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How do I book?

Please refer to Booking/How to Book section and also read through the Booking Information and Terms and Conditions on this site. Select ‘Book Now’ to pay online. You will receive an automated confirmation for your booking when you book online.

When can I book?

Please refer to our Booking/Information section for dates.

What is covered in the cost?
Your booking covers your accommodation, entrance to all the workshops and freestyles and all the entertainment.
Extra charges apply for additional activities golf, horse riding, windsurfing etc. Details for prices and how to book can be found on our Other Activities/Well Being section.

Bedding and utensils will be provided in the accommodation but you will need to supply your own food and possibly toiletries depending upon which accommodation option you select.

How long can I leave it before I book the apartment I want?

All apartments are booked on a first come, first served basis, and therefore you can safely assume that a number of apartment choices will sell out.

Can I stay off-site and just buy a pass for the event?

Unfortunately no, as this would be in contravention of the venue’s Entertainment’s licence.

Can I pay for just one night?

No, this is an accommodated event and the licensing laws of the venue require you to have a dedicated apartment.

If I find accommodation off-site, can I attend the event?

Providing you book an apartment on site, you can stay off-site and attend the event. However, the venue has in effect a ‘hotel’ licence and therefore all guest must be allocated an apartment on site. There are no discounts available, but naturally it would make sense to book the cheapest option if you have no intention of using your apartment.

If the event has sold out, you cannot attend the event even if you plan on staying off-site, as the reason we have stopped selling tickets is to avoid overcrowding on the dance floors.

When the budget apartments sell out, can I book the single and sharing apartments instead and share with my friend?

You can book the Single and Sharing apartments, but we will not put you with your friend, this option is intended for single people only.

It’s an important feature of this event that single people can come along and therefore it’s critical that we retain some of this accommodation type.

TICKETS

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When do I get my tickets?

You will receive an automated confirmation for your booking when you book online.
WE WILL NOT BE SENDING ANYTHING OUT BY POST.

Once registered and when you have your security wristbands you will receive your welcome pack with details of the full weekends entertainment and activities.

What will I receive in the post and when?

You will not receive anything in the post. All you need to do is turn up on site, quote your group leaders surname and you will be given your wristband and keys. Your group leader will receive a comprehensive ‘Escape Plan’ prior to the event.

HOW TO PAY

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What Credit/Debit cards are accepted?

Tickets can be purchased using all major credit cards, however, we do NOT accept American Express.

Which organisation is processing my payments?

Barclaycard Payment Solutions which is part of Barclays Bank PLC. They provide the online payment infrastructure for a wide range of online payment services, and are leaders in this field.

Is the online payment process safe?

The online payment process is a secure process with Barclays. During the process the website you are directed to should have the prefix https://www. The ‘s’ in https indicates that it is a secure server.

I have tried paying by debit card and my transaction has failed?

Unfortunately debit card companies unlike credit card companies track your spending patterns and will very often decline your card with no explanation if they think an online purchase doesn’t fit in with your regular shopping pattern.

The most common issue is people trying to book using a work computer, the transaction will go all the way through and then your company firewall will block the transaction without an explanation.

Occasionally, some home PCs also have security settings set too high, which prevents your browser from accessing the Credit card pages.

Can I pay by cheque?

We no longer accept cheques.

CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING

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Can I add people to my booking after I have made it?

Additions to bookings are allowed providing the gender balance permits at the time of the proposed amendment.

We simply take the Scheduled prevailing price (As shown on our Booking Options page) of your preferred option and deduct the original cost of the product that you are substituting. Example: You originally booked a one bedroom budget chalet for 2 people costing £220 and you would now like to add 2 people and also upgrade the chalet to a 2 bedroom classic for 4 people costing £480 making a difference of £260 to pay. Please note that the Scheduled pricing which could now be showing a higher rate, will be applied to calculate the difference rather than the current pricing published for new bookings.

Any changes to a booking has to be made by the original group leader (Purchaser) and will be subject to our nominal £10 admin fee.

To make an amendment of this kind, please email barry@ceroc.com

Can I reduce my booking by removing people from what I originally booked?

This is not allowed, without you cancelling your entire booking and suffering any cancellation and admin charges. In part, this is to effectively maintain the integrity of the gender balancing. For example, if you booked an apartment for 2 males and 1 female, and then you wanted to remove one of the males, we may have already sold a female place against that male wristband.

I made a mistake when booking, can you please amend my booking?

A mistake identified within 24 hours will suffer a £25 admin fee and no cancellation charges. Please email barry@ceroc.com and then call 0208 156 2866 to ensure the email has been received

We will not consider any amendments after the 24 hour deadline. The fact remains, the booking system clearly shows what you are booking and the ‘basket’ is a second opportunity to verify all the details. Like any online purchase, you need to care when checking the Basket.

What if I want to change my booking?

Please email us barry@ceroc.com or if desperate telephone the hotline 0208 156 2866.
All amendments or additions are subject to a £10 administration fee.

PLEASE NOTE REFUNDS are ONLY available according to our Cancellation schedule. Therefore, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CANCELLATION POLICY UNDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Rather than cancel my booking, can I just swap it for another Escape event?

Yes, but it will still be subject to the cancellation charges. This isn’t our being mean, but we may have lost the opportunity to sell that apartment.

I have a group of 5 who want to book one apartment to share (probably a club room) can we book for one room and then add more people to the booking?

This is possible. Please refer to the section above ‘Can I amend my booking after I have made it’.

DISCOUNTS

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Can I have a discount if I book a number of people?

The event is already heavily discounted already, nonetheless if you can book more than 40 people, please call the Blush hotline 0208 156 2866 (10am-4pm Mon-Fri). Hundreds of dancers will be travelling to the event on their own. So come and join in the fun!

I am an event organiser and would like to know whether I could bring a large group of dancers to this event?

Please call or email Barry Watson on 0208 156 2866 (10am-4pm Mon-Fri).

Gender Balanced Discount 33% CashBack (where applicable)

This option has been withdrawn.

Gender Premiums

Why do some gender mixes carry a premium?
We have introduced a gender premium of 10% for any apartment where there is a gender imbalance of three or more of one sex. For example, 1 guy and 4 girls or 3 guys on their own. This has been introduced to try and improve the gender balancing of our events which is becoming harder to reconcile. This premium is added automatically when you book on-line

Parking

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What's the parking situation at our events?
At Pontins Southport, there is ample FREE parking and you don’t need to reserve a space.

Accommodation

WHAT COMES WITH MY APARTMENT

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Do all the rooms have microwaves?

No - Please see accommodation for precise room specification.

Do the rooms have towels?

No rooms have towels. Please ensure you bring your own towels to the event.

Will my room have basic necessities like toilet paper?

No - Please see accommodation for precise room specification. Please ensure you bring or purchase on site basic essentials such as extra toilet tissue

Is there a bathroom pack?

In the Club apartment there is a Dove Shower Gel Dispenser and a Dove Hand & Body Wash Dispenser fitted in the bathrooms.

Does my room have a sunken Jacuzzi bath with Gilt walls and real sheepskin flooring?

No, this is Pontins and the accommodation is basic! We can’t stress this enough, you should come on these weekenders to enjoy the workshops and dancing, and not the accommodation.

Do the rooms have heating?

Yes, all rooms have electric convector heaters, but you will have to pay for the electricity unless you are in a Club apartment.

Do the rooms have bedding?

No, No rooms have bedding. You will be provided with a pillow and a duvet, but you will need to bring your own linen. We recommend that you bring your own duvet and pillows from home especially in the colder months.

Is it worth paying the extra for 'Club'?

Yes.

Not only does your room have more facilities but at most of the Pontins sites, Club apartments are situated near to the entertainment centre. 

In addition Club Chalets benefit from free electricity.

DISABLED FACILITIES

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Does the accommodations disabled facilities?

Yes, there is some accommodation specifically equipped for disabled guests, and all the dance venues are disabled friendly. The facilities provided in the apartments are not extensive, and therefore be sure to call to enquire about the facilities. Pontins have recently installed a disabled lift at Camber in the main building. Please contact our hotline to discuss your particular requirements.

ELECTRICTY

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Do all the rooms have free electricity?

Although we enjoyed free electricity in 2022, unfortunately the colossal hike in electricity prices mean that continuing with free electricity is not an option and would mean a price rise.

We are NOT raising prices, and Pontins has moved to an easy way of obtaining electricity credits for your chalet via your phone.

If in doubt, please book a Club Chalet that comes with free electricity.

KEYS

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How many keys will be available per room?

There will be 2 keys available per room, additional keys will be available from the Pontins reception upon payment of a deposit.
Note: At some Pontins parks not all keys can be cut on-site.

SHARE WITH A STRANGER

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Can I invite a friend to stay in my chalet?

No if you have booked a ‘Single & Sharing’ apartment. Otherwise, if you are the group leader you can allow other people to stay in your apartment providing that they are booked on the event (have a wristband).

In shared accommodation who will get the bedroom and who will get the sofa bed?

You will have to fight this out between you, but in reality it will probably be who gets there first. Therefore, if you book this option you need to be prepared to sleep on the sofa bed if your room-mate dabs the bedroom. Please note there are Single & Sharing options where there is more than one-bedroom and therefore there will be no fight over the bedroom as each guest gets a bedroom.

ROOM SERVICE

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Can I get fresh towels?

No, you will need to bring your own towels from home.

If I leave my shoes outside my chalet, will they be cleaned by the morning?

No, and they will probably be borrowed by someone who has worn theirs out by dancing until the early hours.

Will my linen be changed and my room cleaned?

You could try and persuade your friends to clean your room, but no linen will be provided for the whole weekend.

Check-in and Check-out

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Do I need to bring anything with me when I check in?

You do not need to bring anything with you when you check in on site.At Pontins Southport, there is ample FREE parking and you don’t need to reserve a space.

What time can I check in?

Check in / check out: Earliest Check in time :
Registration for ‘Club’ bookers will commence from 3.00pm onwards.
Registration for ‘Classic (Inc Classic Plus if applicable)’ bookers will commence from 4.00pm onwards.
Registration for ‘Budget’ bookers will commence from 5.00pm onwards*

*Budget bookers Check-in time now has to be 5pm as Pontins can only guarantee that Club and Classic type chalets will have been turned around by 3pm and 4pm respectively.

Latest check out time for ALL events: 10.00 am.

Do I need to know my group leaders surname in order to register?

Please ensure you know your group leaders surname prior to registering.

You will be asked to complete a registration form and then you will be given your gender specific coloured wristband.

Please note you cannot collect a wristband for a third party. wristbands will be given to the individual who will wear it and it must be put on prior to leaving the registration room.

What time do I have to vacate my apartment?

You need to have vacated your rooms by 10am on the Monday morning.

Registration

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Can someone else register on my behalf by giving my details, obtain the wristband and pass this to me when I arrive later at the event?

NO. The registration process requires all guests to be present at the time of registration as the registration team will need to identify the guest correctly and apply the gender coloured wristband accordingly.

After having registered, can I return and ask for additional keys for my chalet?

YES, providing that the person asking for the additional key has already registered with that booking.

My friend who has booked with a different group leader to myself will be arriving late. Can I collect the key in adavance from the other booking?

NO. ONLY the group leader or any registered guests of a booking can obtain keys.

Prior to the event, I had managed to buy a wristband without accommodation from one group leader and an empty chalet from a second group leader. I plan to register against the booking which has the wristband and simply request the key from the second group leaders booking. Is this possible?

NO. To have access to a booking one has to be registered to that booking. To obtain the wristband from the first Group leaders booking is fine because you will have needed to register to do this. However, to then simply request the keys from the second booking would require you to be registered to this booking and as you can’t be registered twice, then this will not be possible.

Gender Balancing

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Why are you gender controlling the event?

Ceroc believes it’s important that both men and women have equal workshop and freestyle opportunities.

Can you guarantee the gender will be balanced?

Absolutely not. The fact is although we try to gender balance events some people cheat the system by booking for people who they have no intention of bringing, and there can be genuine reasons why some people don’t attend. Furthermore, even if we had a perfect gender balance, this still doesn’t mean that we will have equal people in the workshops as everyone is ultimately different in their choices.

Your competitors are saying that what you are doing is illegal?

We have checked with the authorities and what we are doing is completely legal and we have a letter on file from the Equal Opportunities Commission confirming this.

How are you controlling the gender mix when booking?

When there is a gender disparity between the men and women (and in reality we mean more women), then booking restrictions will apply.

Unfortunately, however we found in 2009 that a number of girls booked apartments which included men, but then no men turned up. We identified a number of girls that booked men, but over 100 male wristbands remain uncollected. This really is incredibly unfair and selfish of those girls that effectively cheat the system.

This means as a woman, when you book on-line, unless you are booking an apartment where the number of men is at least the equivalent or greater than the number of women then your booking will not be accepted.

There may be some female weighted options still available and this is because we have to offer the same number of apartments per apartment type to each gender in order to comply with the best practice as laid out by the Equalities Commission.

Similarly we will no longer be accepting postal bookings unless the same gender balance applies.

Once the gender disparity ratio has been corrected the bookings for women will reopen as normal.

Unlike other events, we believe that getting the balance of men to women is important in terms if making this an enjoyable and inclusive event for everyone.

It will certainly help if you endeavour to gender balance your bookings with dance friends before you try and book.

I'm a lady and I want to go to attend this event. How can I do this with the gender imbalance as exists now?

As a lady you can do a number of things.

1. You book as a mixed gender couple.

2. You book in a mixed gender group with an equivalent number of men to women.

3. Gender Counter Balanced Bookings

If you are unable to book because your option is on hold due to gender balancing, then you may seek to find someone of the opposite gender to counter balance your booking. For example, if your objective is to book for two females, then you need to find and encourage at least 2 guys who haven’t already booked to participate in helping you achieve your objective.

In order to achieve your objective, the guy(s) who are going to help you will have to notify our office in advance of their own booking and simply provide your names and the booking option required. Once the guy(s) have made their own booking, we will provide them a special link (which will override the on-hold status) who in turn will forward onto yourself.

Note: The person requesting a gender balanced booking must liaise with the person who is going to help you and therefore there is no need to approach us directly.

Note: This option is ONLY be available if the expected overall gender balance permits.

4. You wait until closer to the date of the event when the men have started to book up pick up accommodation at the regular price.

5. Keep an eye on the ‘Message Board’ for apartments for sale.

Please note you cannot cheat the system. Please see post below regarding gender specific coloured wristbands that will be issued to you when you arrive.

How will you manage and control the gender mix at the event?

When you arrive the men and ladies will be issued with appropriate coloured wrist bands which will have to be worn at all times when in the main entertainment’s complex.

The wrist bands will be checked by stewards at the entrances to the main entertainment’s building to ensure the wearer has the correct coloured wrist band.

If you are therefore a female thinking of pretending to be a male when booking, you will not be allowed into the entertainment’s complex. This is a strict rule.

How will you manage the gender balance?

Our booking system will tell us when we have an excess of a particular gender and we shall at that point stop taking bookings for that gender unless they are able to book with someone else of the opposite sex.

This is a major event, and the gender balance is something that we believe is an important feature of events of this size.
There is still no escaping the fact that people may book as couples for example, with no intention of bringing someone of the opposite sex with them, and clearly there is nothing that we can do about this.

Therefore, please understand that although we make every effort to gender balance the effort we cannot control the fact that some people book an apartment for say 4 men and 4 ladies when the gender balancing kicks in, when they have no intention of bringing say 4 men with them. In this situation they are of course paying for the men, but we cannot force them to bring all the people in their party.

This gender control is really frustrating as I want to book now?

We totally accept that this is frustrating, but we believe it’s an important feature of our weekend event. It’s all very well going dancing on an evening and there being an imbalance, but for a weekend we believe this is unacceptable so we want to try and do something about it.

It’s also worth noting that from our perspective we are not only going to lose potential sales but are generating ourselves lots of additional administration, so there is no agenda here other than we are trying to create the best possible event for everyone.

As a female does this mean that I will miss the 'early bird' offer?

Potentially yes, unless men start booking and even the numbers out or you book early. Ideally, you should book an apartment and find either a male or males to share with either you and your friends.

Wristbands

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Will I have to wear a wristband all weekend?

Yes, you do if you want to have access to the entertainment’s complex where all the workshops and freestyle dancing is to be held, and where the bars and restaurants are situated.

The wristbands are also great for security ensuring that anyone who sneaks on Centre will be quickly evicted by the security that we employ.

What if I lose my wristband?

We’re sorry but it’s no different to going to a pop concert or a football match, if you lose your wristband you will have to buy a replacement (£99).

The security wristbands are very difficult to lose. They literally have to be cut off with scissors or a sharp knife and cannot be removed accidentally.

Dancing

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How many DJs will there be?

We now have Ceroc in several countries across four continents, and we plan on gathering the best DJs.

Are the main Dance Areas air conditioned?

There is no air conditioning at Pontins although the main rooms do have an air movement system. Additionally, Ceroc bring with them 20 large industrial fans.

Can I come if I have never danced Ceroc before?

The weekend will include Beginner workshops for people who are absolutely new to Ceroc. These beginners workshops will be fun and progressive. Teachers and Ceroc Taxi dancers will be on hand to work with you during these sessions. As a complete beginner you will learn and be able to dance all of the 12 beginners moves by the end of the weekend.

What time does the freestyle end?

The freestyle will go on through until the early hours.

Can I video the Freestyle?

No.

Will there be anyone on site selling dance shoes and clothes?

There will be shoes and clothing for sale on site, including Ceroc merchandise.

Free drinking water?

Yes, there will be drinking water dispensers. We strongly encourage all dancers to bring reusable bottles for the water coolers to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the evenings. Pontins operate a no glass policy, so metal bottles or reusable plastic bottles only please. Make sure you mark up with your full name to assist us with lost property.

Teachers

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Are the teachers only Ceroc teachers?

No, we will be bringing together a wide variety of dance professionals from the world of dance who will be offering workshops from the Dance Adventure section.

Who are these Dance Professionals?

We are presently negotiating with a number of dancers who are interested in teaching at this event. Once we have finalised our negotiations and contract signed we will publish the details on this site. However please note, we reserve the right to change anything in the programme without notice.

Why can't you tell us who all the teachers will be?

We prefer to only announce the teachers when we have agreed all the teaches and in the case of international teachers we are not always able to secure contracts until close to the event.

Workshops

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Can someone else register on my behalf by giving my details, obtain the wristband and pass this to me when I arrive later at the event?

NO. The registration process requires all guests to be present at the time of registration as the registration team will need to identify the guest correctly and apply the gender coloured wristband accordingly.

After having registered, can I return and ask for additional keys for my chalet?

YES, providing that the person asking for the additional key has already registered with that booking.

My friend who has booked with a different group leader to myself will be arriving late. Can I collect the key in adavance from the other booking?

NO. ONLY the group leader or any registered guests of a booking can obtain keys.

Prior to the event, I had managed to buy a wristband without accommodation from one group leader and an empty chalet from a second group leader. I plan to register against the booking which has the wristband and simply request the key from the second group leaders booking. Is this possible?

NO. To have access to a booking one has to be registered to that booking. To obtain the wristband from the first Group leaders booking is fine because you will have needed to register to do this. However, to then simply request the keys from the second booking would require you to be registered to this booking and as you can’t be registered twice, then this will not be possible.

Activities

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What Activities are there in addition to dancing?

You will need to jump to Google and see what is in the local area, typically other activities include horse riding, golf, shopping etc.

Ceroc Crew

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I'm a Ceroc Taxi dancer/crew member. Are there any discounts available?

We recognise the huge contribution that you make to our business and therefore we do offer discounts, please refer to the Ceroc intranet.

Misc

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Is there a swimming pool on site?

Yes there is, so don’t forget to pack your swim wear. There is a main pool for the serious swimmer plus a toddlers pool (approx. 12″ in depth) which you can lounge in, and even slides for the young at heart.

Can I bring my pet Hamster called Cecil to impress the girls?

Sorry no pets allowed, and especially ones called Cecil.

Can I buy food on site?

There will be a convenience store and bakery on site which can provide all the essentials. There is also restaurant and fast food diner on site if you don’t fancy cooking.

Does the event cater for vegetarians?

All chalets are self-catering, but the Pontins restaurant does offer a selection of vegetarian meals.

Should I pack my bucket and spade?

Depending on what event your at, even with global warming there’s little chance of catching a tan when strolling along the beach.

This event clashes with another event that I want to go to?

There are so many events in the calendar now it is almost impossible not to clash with something.

Is the event a non-smoking event?

A strict no smoking policy will apply in any dancing areas, bar areas, restaurant areas, communication areas and the merchandise area.. Smoking is only permitted outdoors and please avoid the entrances and exits for obvious reasons.

Should I pack my Yellow dungarees with Tartan edging or my Silver Velvet two piece with leopard skin cuffs or even my Gold sequinned Y fronts?

There is no dress code, simply wear what you feel most comfortable in, although do expect people to dress up for the Saturday evening.